“An inpatient has tested positive for C. auris, an emerging pathogen that is spreading in the U.S.,” a spokesperson for WVU Medicine said in a statement to local news outlets. “We are working with the health department and following CDC guidance to identify patients who have been exposed, provide testing, and taking precautions to reduce the risk of spreading the pathogen.”
It’s unclear which of the health systems’ hospitals the case was identified in.
C. auris is a drug-resistant fungal pathogen that health agencies consider among those that pose the greatest threat to public health. The fungus is generally not a concern to healthy individuals but poses significant risk to “people who are very sick, have invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities,” according to the CDC.
Clinical cases of C. auris, meaning infection is present, grew 95% from 2020 to 2021, according to findings published earlier this year.
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